My husband got transferred to Saltillo, Mexico — otherwise known as “the Detroit of Mexico” — and I agreed to move with him. When I left Portland I thought my pie baking days would be put on hold. Until I learned that Saltillo is known not only for making cars and trucks but also for growing apples and pecans. The city, though considered industrial, is actually very beautiful. (All those factories are tucked away on the far edges of town.) Saltillo is surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains and with the dry high-desert air we get colorful sunsets with deep pinks and reds. Unlike in Portland where we were celebrating those few days we could see the sun at all. Also, we got lucky and rented a house on the edge of a pecan farm. (The picture above is the view of our backyard. The cow you see is one of eight.)
We even have two pecan trees growing up through the middle of our house! We have to water it twice a week — and sweep up the fallen leaves every day. But when the nuts ripen, I will only have to walk down the hallway to collect my pie ingredients!
We are already one month into our year-long Mexican stint; it is July and I am already looking forward to September and October when the fruit and nut harvest begins. Maybe I’ll want to stay in “Detroit” and finally open up a pie shop. Well, por que no?!